The incident was reported at around 7:45 a.m. at the Wendy’s restaurant on Kupuohi St.

This is not the first time an armed robber has hit a fast food restaurant.

On July 14, an armed robber forced himself into a Jack-in-the-Box in Waipahu at 4:40 a.m. and took off with some cash.

Then on Monday, July 21, a masked man with a weapon entered the McDonald’s near Pearl Kai Shopping Center at 4:30 a.m. and took off with money.

While the recent robberies point to a trend, security expert Lee Donohue says that these robberies can occur anywhere and anytime.

The Wendy’s robbery was alarming enough that the workers ran out of the restaurant as the masked gunman was making his getaway.

“Employees started coming out yelling that they were getting robbed. I noticed that he was coming out of the back of the building,” said Raymond Galdeira, who works in the area.

“He had a burgundy or maroon shirt wrapped around a weapon. They were saying it was a shotgun so it looked like a long rifle,” said co-worker Jeff Candelario.

But an even more brazen robbery happened Tuesday, July 22, at Saint-Germain Bakery inside the Times Supermarket in Waipahu. It happened around 4:30 p.m.

Workers said the place was crowded with people when a man wearing a mask entered with a gun. They said the robber went to Saint-Germain Bakery behind the counter, showed workers a gun, grabbed some cash and then ran out.

Donohue says that robbery is unusual. “When they’re going in where people are known to be, that’s problematic,” he said.

Donohue says it could be a sign of desperation, but he says Honolulu is now a big city with big city problems, so it’s not just fast food restaurants that are being targeted. Armed robbers will seize the opportunity when they see it.

“I don’t think it matters if it’s three in the morning or three in the afternoon. Robberies go down, banks get robbed in the afternoons, so I think it just doesn’t matter anymore, so you have to always be vigilant,” Donohue said.

Donohue says staying vigilant and calm will help people give a more detailed description of the suspect when the police arrive. Also, Donohue says the last thing you want to do is confront an armed suspect.

Donohue adds that a good security camera is well worth the investment for business owners.

Wednesday’s robbery suspect from Wendy’s is described as 5-foot-4 with a slim build.